Vehicle-tire.



No. 678,055. Patented July 9, l90l.

, a. w. SOUTHWICK. V

VEHICLE TIRE.

(Application filed May 23, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Wrr M55555- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w. soUTHwIoK, OF FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS.

VEHICLE-TIRE.

srlacrrlcarxon forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,055, dated. July 9, 1901. Application filed May 23, 1901. Serial No. 61,532. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SOUTH- WICK, of Franklin, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle- Tires, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a bicycle-tire, showing myimprovement Fig. 2, a perspective view of the inner rigid airchamber tube, showing the joint; and Fig. 3, a plan view of a section of the said tube.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates especially to an improvement in bicycle-tires, and particularly to the formation of a rigid non-puncturable air-chamber inside of the outer elastic casing, the object being to produce a tire of the requisite resiliency and, in addition, of the enlarged diameter deemed essential without making the same inflatable.

In carrying out my invention I provide a tubular inner casing of rigid non-puncturable material which forms an air-chamber that avoids the objectionable features of excess weight, which militate against the use of what is known as the solid. tire, without decreas-v ing the size deemed desirable in the pneumatic tire. v

The nature and operation of the device will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents a Wheel-felly of the ordinary grooved class and in which the spokes b are secured radially. The outer tire-casing O is the usual rubber tube thickened at the tread f andsecured to the felly or rim A by cementing. Within this casing O, I dispose a cylinder D, bent into a circle or ring of such diameter that it will seat tightly into the felly-groove. This tubular ring is made of two members it i, of wood, said members being substantially semicircular in crosssection and chamfered or beveled at their the apex of their outer surfaces.

edges 76, so that when joined they will register and the upper member h be prevented from slipping laterally on its companion. In order to bend these transversely semicircular strips longitudinally into the circle desired, I check ,or saw-kerf them at g laterally across They are then steamed and beutinto the required form, these kerfs permitting sufiicient take-up for the inner member 1' and expansion for the outer member h. It will be understood that said kerfs do not extend through the thickness of either member, nor to their edges is.

Of course the diameter of the tubular ring D necessary is known, and as a portion of the members are bent into the required are they are secured together by screws or rivets m at frequent intervals. The space between said tubular wooden ring and the outer casing 0 is filled with sponge-rubber p or alterternate layers of felting-rubber, and, in fact, any desired elastic material may be here dis posed. This padding is secured to the outer face of the ring member h. Before the ends of said ring are brought together it is passed longitudinally into the casing 0 through a slit in the casing-wall, said casing having been first disposed on the felly, the ends of the members h 2', respectively, butting each other at r t, as in Fig. 2, each member thereby overlapping the joint of the ends of its companion member. A metallic band Vis then secured around the joint thus formed after said ring hasbeen taken up sufficiently to crowd it tightly into the felly-groove.

- The outer casing, in addition to the cement employed, is firmly held to the felly by the effect whatever other than to penetrate the rubber. Even if said puncture is severe enough to penetrate the wooden tube no harm is done, as there is no escape of air, which in said tube is only at atmospheric pressure. In fact I provide a tire which has all the advantages of size of the pneumatic, is sufficiently light, has none of the disadvantages of the solid tire, and in which there is greatlyincreased resiliency over said solid tire.

The disposition of the wooden tube within the casing is a skilful operation and involves a process upon which I intend hereafter to apply for Letters Patent.

Of course it will be understood that the airtube D might be constructed of other material than Wood; but in addition to involving greater weight they are more expensive and in some degree impracticable. Moreover, the padding 1) may be omitted and the tube engaged direct with the casing; but I deem this unadvisable.

Having thus explained my invention, What I claim is 1. In a vehicle-tire a rubber outer casing; an air-chamber therein comprising a hollow ring of Wood formed of two members semicircular in cross-section and secured together I circumferentially.

2. In a tire of the class described a rigid air-chamber, D, formed of two annular members, h, z, kerfed laterally in their outer faces.

3. In a tire of the class described a rigid air-chamber, D, formed of two annular members, h, z, kerfed laterally in their outer faces and having their edges chamfered substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The felly; the rubber casing, C; the wooden annular tube, D, within said casing and drawn into the felly-groove and the elastic padding between said tube and easing all being combined and arranged to operate sub stantially as described. I

GEORGE W. SOUTHWIOK;

VVit-nesses:

O. M. SHAW, G. M. WILBUR. 

